Terminal apparatus for electric heaters and the like



Sept. 15, 1925. 1,553,301

H. L. DAWSON TERMINAL APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC HEATERS AND THE LIKE FiledApril 2, 19?:

HERTER 6 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES HORACE L. DAWSON, OF EVANSTON,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTLER-HAMMER MFG. 00., 0F MILWAUKEE,WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

TERMINAL APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC HEATERS AN DTHE LIKE.

Application filed April 2, 1923. Serial No. 629,295.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE L. DAWSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Terminal. Apparatus for ElectricHeaters and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, concise,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to terminal apparatus for electric heaters andthe like, and while not limited thereto is particularly applicable toheaters employed in electric ovens.

Such ovens and similar installations are ordinarily more or lesspermanently located and wired whereas in practice removal of the heatingelement for inspection, substistution or repair is frequently necessary,and the present invention has among its objects that of facilitatingsuch removal and replacement without disturbing the main installation orwiring.

Another object is that of providing terminal apparatus adapted to act asa support for its associated heater or the like.

Another object is that of providing such terminal apparatus whereinprovision is made for insulating the same and its asso ciated conductiveparts against accidental contact With extraneous bodies.

Another object is that of providing such terminal apparatus whereinprovision is made for protecting the same from the heat developed by itsassociated heater or the like.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein is illustrated a preferredembodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a vertical sectional viewof anoven or heating chamber having my improved terminal devices appliedthereto;

Fig. 2 is a detail view illustrating certain features of the device inperspective;

Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating certain parts in front elevation;while Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating certain other elements orfeatures of the de- V106.

Referring to the drawing, the same illustrates an electric range or oven5 to be heated by one or more electric heaters 6, the wall of said oven5 having a suitable number of openings or recesses 7 shaped to receiveand hold a corresponding number of insulating members 8. The insulatingmembers 8 are suitably recessed also have through passages 10 connectingsaid recesses'9 with the outside surface of the insulating members, sucharrangement providing internal shoulders 11 and said recesses andpassages being adapted to receive terminal conductive members 12 now tobe described.

Said terminal conductive members 12 are illustrated in Fig. 1 in sectionand in Fig. 2 in perspective, the same being composed of suitableconductive material and each comprising a body portion 13 and a studportion 14, preferably integral therewith. Said body portionc13 containsan elongated circular recess or bore 15 to receive a terminal of asuitable electric heater 6. A set screw 16 is screwed into a threadedpassage in the body portion 13 at a suitable angle so as to be easilyaccessible from the inside of the oven, said set screw 16 being adaptedto enter the circular recess 15 to securely and rigidly clamp saidheater terminal to the member 12.

The aforedescribed construction of said elements 12 peculiarly adaptsthe same to co-operate with heaters of the self-supporting type, whereinthe supporting function is performed by the heater terminals, the latterbeing elongated and otherwise specially constructed to adapt the same tosuch use. Thus in particular the aforementioned elongatedbore 15 of saidelements 12 provides a correspondingly elongated bearing surface for theassociated heater terminals to thereby assure adequate mechanicalsupport of the entire heater while also providing terminal connectionstherefor.

In practice, after the insulating member 8 has been secured in therecess 7 in the wall of the electric oven or the like, the members 12are inserted in said insulating members 8, the body portion 13 of themember 12 registering with the recess 9 and abutting the shoulder 11,whilethe stud portion 14 registers with the through passage 10. A nut 17is screwed upon the stud portion 14, forcing the adjacent face of the at9 and body portion 13 against the shoulder 11 and thereby clampingelement 12 securely and rigidly in place. Leads 18 are connected to thestud portion 14 and secured by nuts 19. A. member 20 having both heatand electrical insulating properties is secured over the members 12 tothe inside surface of the wall of the oven or the like by screws 21,recess 22 receiving the projecting portions ct said members 12. Throughpassages 28 arranged at a suitable 1 ngle receive and afford access tothe set screws 16 while an elongated through passage 2% registers withthe circular recesses 15.

By the foregoing construction and arrangement, mounting and circuitconnection of the heater as well as removal and re-' placement orsubstitution thereof may be readily and speedily e'l fected from withinthe oven or the like without disturbing the main installation or theexternal wiring thereof.

For such purpose a screw driver 25 may be inserted in passage 23 toretract the set screw 16 and thereby release the binding action on theheater terminal, whereupon the heater may be withdrawn. When a heaterunit to be. installed, the terminal is inserted through the. passage 2eand into the circular recess 15. Set screw 16 is their tightened,clamping the heater terminal se curely and rigidly, the arrangement thusproviding both for electrical connection and mechanical support oftheheaters. It is apparent that changing of the leads 18 may be easilyeffected without disturbing the terminal apparatus by simply nuts 19. v

l i hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In terminal apparatus tor enclosed heaters and the like, thecombination with a conductive element having a socket located within theenclosure of the heater to receive a terminal portion of the heater, ofassociated means arranged for ready accessibility from within theenclosure for releasably securing said element and said heater in arelation of electrical conductivity.

2. In terminal apparatus for enclosed heaters and the like, thecombination with a conductive element arranged to penetrate a wall ofthe enclosure of the heater and having a terminal located the-rewithout,said element having a socket located within the enclosure to receive aterminal portion of the heater, of associated means arranged for readyaccessibility from within the enclosure for releasably securing saidterminal portion 015 the heater within said socket.

3. In combined supporting and terminal apparatus for oven heaters andthe like, the combination with a conductive element ar ranged topenetrate a wall of the oven and removing to be lxedly supportedthereby, of means associated with said element to provide without theoven a circuit terminal and within the oven a socket to receive aterminal portion of the heater for electrical. connection and mechanicalsupport of the latter and means arranged for ready accessibility fromwithin the oven for releasably securing said terminal portion of theheater within said socket.

1. In combined supporting and terminal apparatus for oven heaters andthe like, the combination with an insulating support located in a wallof the. oven and provided with an internally shouldered through passage,of a conductive element carried by said support in a relation topenetrate the oven wall, said element having a shoulder to abut theshoulder of said support, ter-' minal means located without the oven forclamping said element to and within said support, said element having asocket to receive a terminal portion of the heater for electricalconnection and mechanical support thereof and associated means arrangedfor ready accessibility from within the oven for clamping the heater tosaid element.

5. In combined supporting and terminal apparatus for oven heaters of theself-supporting type, the combination with an insu lating supportprovided with an internally shouldered through passage, of a conductiveelement carried by said support in a relation to penetrate the ovenwall, said element having a shoulder to abut the shoulder of saidsupport, terminal means located without the oven for clamping saidelement to and within said support, said element having an axiallyelongated socket to receive an elongated terminal portion of the heaterfor electrical connection and mechanical support thereof, meansassociated with said socket for clamping said terminal portion of theheater therein and means for shielding th interiorly located parts ofsaid element from the heat of the oven.

6. In combined supporting and terminal apparatus for oven heaters of thesell"- supporting type, the combination with an insulating supportprovided with an internally shouldered through passage, of a conductiveelement carried by said support in a relation to penetrate the ovenwall, said element having a shoulder to abut the shoulder of saidsupport, terminal means located without the oven forclamping saidelement to and within said support, said element having anaxiallyelongated socket to receive an elongated terminal portion of the heaterfor electrical connection and mechanical support thereof, meansassociated with said socket for clamping said terminal portion of theheater therein and means'for shielding the interiorly located parts ofsaid element from the heat of the oven said lat-' ter means having anopening to provide ready accessibility to said clamping means from alocation Within the oven.

7 In combined supporting and terminal apparatus for oven heaters of theself-supporting type, the combination with an insulating support havinga number of internally shouldered through passages corresponding to thenumber of heater terminals to be associated therewith, of conductive elements carried by said support within the individual passages thereof andin a relation to penetrate the oven wall, terminal means located withoutthe oven for clamping said elements to said support, each of saidelements being provided within the oven with a socket to receive aheater terminal and means readily accessible from within the oven forclamping said terminals within said sockets.

8. In terminal apparatus for enclosed heaters and the like, thecombination with a conductive element arranged topenetrate a wall of theenclosure of the heater and having a terminal located therewithout, saidelement having a socket located within the enclosure to receive aterminal portion of the heater, of associated means for releasablysecuring said terminal portion of the heater within said socket and ashield comprising heat insulating material arranged to protect saidelement from the heat of the oven.

9. In terminal apparatus for enclosed heaters and the like, thecombination with a conductive element arranged to penetrate a Wall ofthe enclosure of the heater and having a terminal located therewithout,said element having a socket located within the enclosure to receive aterminal portion of the heater, of associated means for releasablysecuring said terminal portion of the heater within said socket and ashield comprising heat insulating material arranged to protect saidelement from the heat of the oven, said shield having an opening andsaid securing means being so arranged with reference thereto as toafford ready accessibility to said securing means from within the oven.

10. In combined supporting and terminal apparatus for oven heaters ofthe selfsupporting type, the combination with an insulating supporthaving a number of internally shouldered through passages correspondingto the number of heater terminals to be associated therewith, ofconductive elements carried by said support within the individualpassages thereof and in a relation to penetrate the oven wall, terminalmeans located without the oven for clamping said elements to saidsupport, each of said elements being provided within the oven with asocket to receive a heater terminal, individual clamping means for saidheater terminals and a shield comprising electrical and heat insulatingmaterial arranged to protect said conductve elements from the heat ofthe oven, said shield having openings to receive said heater terminalsand said clamping means, the latter being arranged with reference tosaid openings to afford ready accessibility to the clamping means fromwithin the oven.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HORACE L. DAWSON.

